After reading about the Girona manager yesterday I have suddenly decided he is our guy. Two segunda titles with different teams and then another promotion with Girona before leading them into mid table La Liga. Put in a good word Oriel…
Might get lambasted for this, but do we need a new striker for the Championship? Adams Armstrong Mara Onuachu Ballard All of them could do a job at that level. It’ll be midfield we’ll need reinforcements for mainly.
Yeah, I agree. I was just half-responding to the talk of signing Miovski from Aberdeen. If we do need a striker (say we end up selling Adams and Onuachu), then I'd want us to go in for Akpom. FWIW: I think we will sell Che - I've no idea what will happen with Tall Paul - I think Mara will 'do a Tella' - Armstrong seems to be more of a winger these days - Ballard I dunno; would be great to see him break through but its impossible to say right now. So yeah, there's a good chance we will need a striker. I'm of the opinion these days that the two most important things for a football club, are having a top class manager, and a top class striker. Everything else is secondary. So we can't afford to f*ck about.
Mark Robins has done an excellent job at Coventry. Just feel it might be another Nathan Jones type appointment
Yeah absolutely. I mean, I'd probably add that to my little adage, but then it starts to sound a bit too lengthy. But yeah, this season having so few leaders has 100% been as detrimental, as having no striker and clueless managers.
A manager. A striker. A goalkeeper. A leader. All are essential, and we've had none who are good enough. Hence we're 20th.
Alright, alright. But apart from a manager, a striker, a leader, and a goalkeeper, what have the Romans ever done for us?
I read somewhere that Yooth Joyce and Brian Murphy were really close friends in real life. Brian was with her at her bedside when she died.
It’s a fair point, given their form in the PL it’s easy to forget Adams and Adam Armstrong are proven in the Championship, we also don’t know how Mara and Onuachu might perform down there. I think there might be something about our style of play that just doesn’t work for A Armstrong, but I think Adams could be very good down there especially with Alcaraz, Sulemana, Tella (if he stays) or Edozie sat behind him, although there does appear to be some suggestion he may leave over the Summer. The key area for new signings will be Central Mid, which will need a full rebuild.
They could, but with the exception of Adams and Ballard (who we know nothing about) they haven’t done anything for us so far. It’s tempting to think that players like Armstrong Mara Djenepo and Elyonoussi would do well dropping into the championship, but they could be just as bad. I would definitely send off Armstrong (even if it means a L1 loan) and Elyonoussi. Mara hasn’t impressed me, but is young. If we’re never going to play direct we may as well ship out onuachu.
But Armstrong scored hatfuls of goals in the championship. I’d rather be shot of him, but the proof is there he can be effective in that league.
It is because of posts like that that this room can be so addictive. I usually agree with most things Laces posts but I have to say I do not think that any of these players will feature next season with the excpetion of Ballard about whom I know very little. I cannot see Adams remaining in the Championship , especially following hi relutance to drop down a division to Leeds a few seasons ago. Mara does not have the physique for English football and will be even less suited to the bruising nature of the Championship. It is difficult to see him not playing in France next season. Of the others, I would tend to concur with the comment of the chap he sits next to me at football that there is something behind Onuachu's lack of appearances and indeed his absense in the squad against Bournemouth. There seems to be a consensus amongst the Saints supporters that I have spoken to that the coaching staff do not rate him and that he is something of a dud. As I have said previously, I am reminded of Paul Moody from the bad old days of Branfoot whenever I see him play. There is no way he will feature for us next season and I can see us cutting our loses with him and binning him pretty sharpish. Seeing that this is really a thread about the new manager, I would argue that three managers have already tried and failed to get Armstrong to be effective yet the same errors about being busy in the wrong areas always remain. He has the skill to play at a high level yet he has the footballing brain of someone who is League One at a push. There is no way we can go into the next campaign with him leading the line and I would have been trying to find a buyer for him last summer. I can see Edosie featuring and being useful. In addition, I have to say that there is no way I would ditch Walcott as he is one of the few player with a mature footballing mindset and I would suggest he will be invaluable in 2023/24.
Agree Edozie should do well. And Walcott- what a presence. I suspect you’re right about onuachu, I don’t think he even got many minutes under the charlatan. What annoys me is the reluctance of Ralph and Selles to EVER go direct. It’s not attractive football but can be effective, even top sides do it every now and then.
Big Paul is too static for this. I think he is not fast enough or strong enough for Route One. As I said, I think that he is another dud like Augustin Delgardo and just sense we will try to off load at the first chance. Any manager who comes in will probably find that he only has about 25% of the current playing staff on his books. I think there will be a massive exodus but, to be honest, I think there are only a few like Perraud who have been committed this season and who I would miss.
